Baltimore officer who beat man at bus stop pleads guilty, sentenced to six months jail

[Eugene]

Source: Baltimore Sun

Baltimore officer who beat man at bus stop pleads guilty, sentenced to six months jail

By Ian Duncan and Justin Fenton
MAY 15, 2015 12:43 PM

Baltimore Police Officer Vincent E. Cosom, who was caught on city surveillance footage beating a man at a North Avenue bus stop, pleaded guilty to assault Friday and was sentenced to six months in jail.

Shaun Owens, Cosom's attorney, said his client had an "unblemished record" before the incident and was a veteran police officer.

"This was quite simply a lapse in judgment," Owens said after the plea.

The sentence, which includes another four and half years suspended time, was handed down as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

The incident happened in June and came to light in September when the victim, Kollin Truss, filed a lawsuit against the police. Cosom and Truss had been in an verbal altercation that appeared to be winding down until Cosom approached him and dealt out the beating.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-officer-who-beat-man-at-bus-stop-pleads-guilty-sentenced-to-six-months-jail-20150515-story.html

[marym625]

1. Good

At least some of the people that are being harassed and beaten are finally being taken seriously. So many for so many years just laughed at

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Lapse of judgement? ...

... sometimes I post an inappropriate joke or comment on DU and it gets hidden. That's a lapse of judgement on my part.

Beating up someone is not a "lapse of judgement". I hope Mr Cosom never gets another job in law enforcement.

Another crime that was punished only because there was video.

[RufusTFirefly]

6. He'll probably land a job with Blackwater -- whatever it's called these days

My suggestion would be Sturmabteilung.

[spanone]

3. bullshit statement of the week "This was quite simply a lapse in judgment"

[catnhatnh]

4. Of course it was a lapse in judgement...

Never before in the veterans unblemished career had he EVER beaten a subject IN FRONT OF A CAMERA...

[libdem4life]

5. To make it worse, they were beating on the woman who was trying desperately to

stop the altercation. And for those in blue/black who supported him...i.e. backed him up? Crickets. And 6 freaking months, didn't say his pay was stopped, no next time he'll not lapse in judgment, he'll just find a spot where there is not a surveillance camera. Lesson learned.